Russia will persuade the Syrian government to guarantee a smooth procedure of the elimination of chemical weapons and the West on its part should send a similar message to the Syrian opposition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his interview with The Kommersant.

On the other hand, Lavrov pointed out that the Western countries and the Persian Gulf states do not have access to and influence on all the forces currently waging a war in Syria.

Russia is willing to provide personnel for inspecting the stocks of chemical weapons in Syria, for providing the security of these inspections and coordinating the activities of the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his interview with The Kommersant.